https://countercurrents.org/2022/08/why-nrega-implementation-problems-are-increasing/
This year at the time of the presentation of budget again a reduction relative to last year’s revised estimate was made by allocating only Rs. 73,000 crore. A calculation made by a monitoring group People’s Action for Employment Guarantee ( PAEG) revealed the very uncomfortable reality that if the same number of people apply for work as in the previous year , this allocation will be adequate to provide only 21 days work in a year, as compared to the legal entitlement of 100 days.
The result of the much lower than essential allocation has been that with actual expenditure of Rs. 36,112 crore in the first 4 months of the financial year ( up to July 31) and outstanding unpaid dues of Rs. 12,390 crore, the government is now left with only 24,498 crore or 33% of the allocation for the next 8 months! So if there are reports of inadequate work and delayed wages, there are reasons for this.
To give examples from only one state, recent reports indicate increasing problems in the implementation of MG-NREGA in Himachal Pradesh, the most disturbing aspect being the long delays in the payments of workers.
Clearly there is urgent need for setting up a proper system of timely wages in MG-NREGA and for ensuring a proper budget for this. Here it may also be pointed out that several NREGA monitoring organizations such as NREGA Sangharsh Morcha, PAEG and Right to Food Campaign have been giving advance warnings that reduction in the budgetary allocation for this year, compared to the revised estimate for the previous year, will lead to failure in providing adequate work and/or making timely wage payments. These organizations have in fact pleaded for making a significant increase in the budgetary allocation for NREGA compared to the previous year, and have backed their demand with detailed calculations of the actual need. This is a demand based program with entitlement assured by law, and so the government must take care to provide adequate budget for this.
by Bharat Dogra
06/08/2022
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